Pocket I-Ching. Gary G. Melyan

governing everything. These phenomena and laws were inductively symbolized by the Eight Trigrams. Tradition is split as to the attribution of the 64 Hexagrams, some attributing them to Fu Hsi and others to King Wen (c. 1171-1122 B.C.), the father of the founder of the Chou dynasty (IIII-249 B.C.). Regardless of the authenticity of these attributions, it is certain that the idea of the line groups and of the divided and solid lines goes back to remote antiquity.

      Our present text is said to be a revision of two earlier works of which nothing reliable remains. The first is called the Lien Shan, "Mountains Standing Together," and is placed in the Hsia dynasty (c. 2183-1752 B.C.). The other, used in the Shang dynasty (1751-1112 B.C.), is called Kuei Tsang, "Reverting to the Hidden." We only know the names of these books and that their arrangement and names of the hexagrams were different.

      The old name of the work that comes down to us is Chou I; Chou is the name of the dynasty whose founders played such an important role in shaping the work. It is attributed either to King Wen or his son, the Duke of Chou. It is not our concern here to discuss which parts of the text stemmed from which historical figure. It is important only to note that the text dates back to the early Chou period and that the Chou influence gave the work an emphasis on human affairs.

      The latest part of the book is the commentary, commonly called the Ten Wings, and is ascribed to Confucius, although this attribution has been challenged by modern scholars. Most probably the Ten Wings are a product of many hands over a long period of time, from the fifth or sixth century to the third or fourth century B.C. However, it is true that Confucius did study the hexagrams and texts intensively and seriously in his old age. Thus the commentaries doubtlessly bear the stamp of his keen intelligence, his judgments and observations influencing later writers of commentaries whether they were Confucian disciples or not.

      Fate too played a role in pushing the I-Ching to the fore-front of intellectual interest. It was one of the few works to escape the great book burning of 213 B.C. initiated by Ch'in Shih Huang Ti. As a result scholars took up the I-Ching with great enthusiasm, feeling that it was the last tool of their profession. They contributed an enormous amount of heterogeneous material coming from such diverse schools as the Taoists and the natural philosophers. The rich and varied commentary that surrounds the work originated under these circumstances and forms the I-Ching tradition.

      Also fusing with the tradition of the hexagrams were early schools of Chinese astronomy and astrology with such concepts as the Five Elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth), the Ten Celestial Stems, and the Twelve Zodiacal Places (also known as the Twelve Horary Characters or Terrestrial Branches). Matched with the 64 Hexagrams, these concepts formed the base for I-Ching divination from the Han dynasty (B.C 206-200 A.D.) onward. Many schools of thought used the I-Ching to predict great events of state and to explain the development of history—not only the Confucianists. This made the I-Ching broader in use and influence than other Chinese classical works and guarantees it a prominent, living position throughout history.

      Composition of the Book

      The 64 Hexagrams are followed by two texts and commentaries. The texts are the Kua Tz'u, or explanation of the entire hexagram text, and the Yao Tz'u, or explanation of the component lines. There are seven commentaries. First is the T'uan Chuan, which is the commentary on the decision that uses the structure of the individual hexagrams to explain the judgments belonging to them, i.e., the commentary on the Kua Tz'u. Then there is the Hsiang Chuan or "Commentary on the Images." By studying the images suggested by the primary trigrams, this commentary arrives at an abstract meaning for the hexagram. (It also appends explanations to the individual lines.) Next is the Wen Yen or "Commentary on Words of the Text." Preserved for us is commentary on the first two hexagrams, emphasizing their philosophical meaning.

      The following layer of text is the Tza Kua or "Miscellaneous Notes on the Hexagrams," which briefly defines the names of the hexagrams. The subsequent layer is the Hsii Kua or "Sequence of Hexagrams," which is the basis for our present order of hexagrams. It is followed by the Shuo Kua or "Discussion of the Trigrams," which interprets the Eight Trigrams and the symbolic values represented by each.

      Lastly there is the Hsi Tz'u, "Appended Judgments," which gives a general introduction to the text as a whole and contains pronouncements about the I-Ching made by the Confucian School—some probably emanating from Confucius himself. The T'uan Chuan, Hsiang Chuan, and Hsi Tz'u are each in two parts and, with the rest of the commentaries, form the Ten Wings.

      How to Consult the Oracle

      The Book of Changes is an oracle book—that is, a system of ideas, natural laws, and images from which one can obtain an answer to a question about what is to come if the question is worded precisely. There are two methods used to construct hexagrams from which the answers are interpreted. One is to obtain the auguries by the manipulation of fifty yarrow (or milfoil) stalks. Though this method is the oldest—the practice of using the stalks came about because they grew wild in the place which in ancient times was used for sacred rituals— we will not introduce it. The second method is far easier and much more convenient. This is the method of tossing coins.

      Traditionally the Chinese used copper coins with holes in the middle, blank on one side and inscribed on the other. For our purposes any coin will do.

      Tossing Coins

      Take three of the same type of coin and arbitrarily determine one side as yang and the other as yin. Coins with a head and tail can conveniently be yang and yin respectively. After composing oneself and having asked the specific question, shake the coins well and throw them to build the bottom line of the hexagram. Continue in this manner until six lines are constructed, starting from the bottom and building upward.

      Four possible lines can be determined from throwing the coins. If all three coins are heads (or yang), the line is an old or changing yang line. Likewise if all three coins are tails (or yin), the resulting line will be an old or changing yin line. If there is one head (yang) and two tails (yin), the line is a young or unchanging yang line. Contrarily, one tail (yin) and two heads (yang) will produce a young or unchanging yin line.

      Traditionally the inscription side was given the number value 2 and functioned as the yin. The blank side had the value of 3 and functioned as the yang. In I-Ching terminology a six when referring to a line meant an old, changing yin line while a nine meant an old, changing yang line. Three blank sides, or heads, result in the number nine. Three inscribed sides, or tails, result in the number six. The other totals are eight for two blank or head sides plus an inscribed or tail side and seven for two inscribed or tail sides plus one blank or head side. A line with a total eight is a young yin and seven is young yang.

      A changing or old line means that when the hexagram is formed that particular line will be changed into its opposite. Hence, if it is yin it will become yang and vice versa. The first hexagram determined will indicate the present situation. Converting all changing lines to their opposites will result in a second hexagram, the hexagram which points to the future situation.

      Change is constant and the interaction between the yin and the yang never ceases. When the yang force reaches its zenith it will fade and the yin force will take over. The converse is also true. Thus a line with the value of nine represents the yang at its zenith and is called the old. Since it will change to yin it is also known as the changing yang line. The same is true for a line with the value of six, representing the yin at its zenith. This yin is old and will change into yang. In the other two lines, the yin and yang forces are still in ascendancy, so there is no change.

      It will be easy to understand why one inscribed or tail (yin) side will take precedence over the two other blank or head (yang) sides in determining whether the hexagram line is yin (broken) or yang (solid), if one regards the inscribed or tail side as the female and the other as the male. When one woman is in the company of two men, she controls the situation. Likewise, two women in the company of one man are under his control. Thus, the one blank or head coin will take precedence over the others and the line determined by the throw will be yang.

      The following list will simplify the interpretation of lines.

H=	Head or blank side=3
T=	Скачать книгу В начало < 1 2 3 4 5 6 > В конец